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Provision Would Grant Women in the Peace Corps the Same Coverage as Women in the Armed Forces

Wilmington, DE – The Senate Appropriations Committee approved a provision yesterday that would lift the total ban on abortion coverage for Peace Corps Volunteers in the bill that funds U.S. foreign affairs. This provision would grant women in the Peace Corps access to abortion coverage in cases of rape, incest, or life endangerment—the same coverage that women in the armed services receive.

A broad bipartisan majority supported the bill (23 Senators voted in favor and seven opposed). Senator Coons voted in support of the bill. “It is only fair that a Peace Corps Volunteer has access to abortion, as women in the armed services do, if she is the victim of rape or incest, or when her life is endangered,” said Ruth Lytle-Barnaby, CEO of Planned Parenthood of Delaware. “Women in the Peace Corps should be able to make private medical decisions and access high-quality medical care without the interference of politicians.”

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The mission of Planned Parenthood of Delaware is to ensure the right of all individuals to access the appropriate information and the services necessary to make and act on personal decisions related to their own reproduction, sexuality and health. Planned Parenthood provides family planning, gynecological services, abortion, cancer screening, STD testing and treatment, health education, and more. The agency serves all three counties, has operated in Delaware for 80 years, and serves 11,000 clients a year. For further information, check out www.ppdel.org.